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Introduction

The Messe pour Notre-Dame is a fusion of Cochereau transcription and Briggs’ own compositional voice. ‘About 15% is based on some wonderful Cochereau improvisations for the Feast of the Assumption in 1962’, he says. ‘I transcribed them from an unedited reel-to-reel recording made in Notre-Dame that day by Fred Tulan, a well-known American organist and great friend of Pierre. You can hear—in the ‘Domine Deus’ section of the Gloria and introductions to the Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei—Cochereau’s incredible invention and ravishing harmonies. I’ve tried to make the link into my own music as imperceptible as possible, but it is for others to say if it’s successful or not!’. Messe pour Notre-Dame was indeed conceived specifically for the great Parisian cathedral and its mighty 1868 Cavaillé-Coll organ. The choir it was written for was an English one, however—commissioned by Neil Shepherd and the choir of Keynsham Parish Church, near Bristol, they performed it with Briggs in Notre-Dame on 28 July 2002. What a magnificent gift to that most endangered musical species of the early twenty-first century, the English Parish Church Choir.

Recordings

David Briggs is renowned worldwide for his brilliant improvisations and is also a prolific composer. This disc includes his Messe pour Notre-Dame, and features five movements of his own improvisations. These display a masterful range of moo ...» More

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of goodwill. We praise you. We bless you. We worship you. We glorify you. We give thanks to you for your great glory. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God the Father, O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father. You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. You take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. You sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you only are holy. You only are the Lord. You only are the most high, Jesus Christ. With the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.